“That’s so gay”

There is a lot of talk about bully and harassment prevention, but it still occurs quite frequently. What people don’t think about as often is how words and phrases can have such a negative impact. I really liked the article from The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/thats-so-gay-phrase-impact-lgbt-youth_n_1837330.html) because it discussed the harmful effects of words. The author described how hearing the phrase “that’s so gay” can lead students to “feel isolated and experience headaches, poor appetite or eating problems.” I heard this phrase just the other day while walking to the Davis Center. I was thinking that hearing the phrase “that’s so gay” could make it even more difficult for some students to come out. Despite having many students that are open or are advocates of LGBTQ people, hearing such words on campus reveals that there are still those who are not aware of how hurtful this phrase can be or who are not as friendly toward LGBTQ students. What are your experiences with hearing the phrase “that’s so gay” on campus?